In the finale of our Pre-CB300 talk series, Allen describes what makes a good CB300 musher, the importance of being in shape both physically and mentally, his style of mushing and a number of other very revealing — and at times quite humorous — insights.
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Wishing all three teams great racing in the CB300. Love the Howler and seeing the division of dogs, very interesting how teams are set up. We'll be watching!
From Eunice and Julie… Go Bullet (Love, Frita!), Nutmeg and Moonpie, too! and ALL SPK dogs and humans.
Listening to Allen this morning has inspired me to get out to "Curves" and try to get the old body in some kind of condition. Thanks…
Here's to good conditions and good racing this weekend.
Best of luck to all y'all.
Best of luck to all three teams for a great race! I'm really pulling for Allen to win it, but I'm also cheering for Aliy and Bridgett to stay close at his back and keep him looking over his shoulder.
A different map (from the one posted on the Dog Log) on the CB300 site shows something called a "safety checkpoint" between Wolverine and Sourdough. No rush to answer since you're plenty busy tonight and for the next few days, but whenever you have the chance, it would be great to find out what this means and how it's different from a normal checkpoint. It's not accessible to the handlers and dog trucks by road, so I wondered what went on there.
I hope that the trip up and back are exceptions to the "nothing is ever easy" and "you can't make this stuff up" mottoes.
Okay Lisa — I'll see if I can find out… My hunch is that it's an "unofficial" checkpoint… probably staffed by snow machiners… that has safety/emergency gear but no drop bags, race officials, etc… In other words, I'm guessing, if a musher has a problem on that long stretch he/she can get help, but it's not a "real" checkpoint… But, like I said, I'll see if I can get you an answer from A or A…
WOW..!! What a great and insightful interview with Allen. Good job all around…. also a great job putting together the Howler. Thanks for all the communication… I feel like I'm right there with you.
The explanation about the safety checkpoint makes sense, but it makes me wonder about that other, even longer stretch – 58 miles! – from Paxon to Chistochina…
Here's the answer direct from Aliy: "For years the people who live at Crosswinds …. Alaskans who live out in the bush and trap, etc… they have a warm cabin in case mushers need to get inside. They also greet every musher with a hot cup of soup and cold glass of tang! Pretty cheery folks too."